Japan urges Russia to immediately release detained national

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi expressed urgent concern on Tuesday over a Japanese national detained in Russia. Motegi called the situation "regrettable" that consular access to the detainee has not been granted within the four-day window mandated by a bilateral treaty. The detained individual, identified as a journalist from the Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper, was taken into custody on Sakhalin in Russia's Far East on suspicion of espionage, according to the Russian security agency.

Motegi emphasized the importance of consular meetings within the specified period, adding that Japan is seeking humanitarian considerations and fair treatment for the detained national. He stated that Japan is actively communicating with Russia through various channels and is doing everything in its power to resolve the matter. Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry revealed that a senior official had met with Kimitake Nakamura, the director general of Japan's Foreign Ministry's European Affairs Bureau.

Nakamura reportedly lobbied for early consular access for the detained journalist. Russian media reported that the journalist was held in a local court for two months following his detention for alleged intelligence activities.